Cigarette



Jari. 1a; 1944.

L. D. KLiNGEL CIGARETTE- Filed Aug. 25, 1942 Patented Jan. 18, 1944 UNETED STATES 6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in cigarettes, and more particularly in the provision of a mouthpiece therefor, attached thereto as a part of the cigarette.

Cigarettes are customarily made with a very thin paper cover enclosing a filler of loose tobacco, andunless a special holder is used for the cigarette, the smoker must discard the cigarette before it is substantially consumed due to the objection which results from the proximity of the lighted end of the cigarette to the face. Furthermore, the moisture of the lips frequently causes destruction of the portion of the cigarette paper cover held between the lips and results in fragments of tobacco collecting in the mouth of the smoker which is distasteful and objectionable.

Various attempts have been made heretofore to provide mouthpieces for cigarettes, but these have been unsatisfactory either because when made as a permanent part of the cigarette, the mouthpiece does not extend the degree of smoking permitted of the cigarette throughout a substantial portion of the length thereof, or when made adjustable with respect to the cigarette, such mouthpieces as proposed have not been practical for manufacture.

The object of this invention is to improve the construction of cigarette mouthpieces, to enable the manufacture thereof with the cigarette and attached thereon in one operation, capable of adjustment relative thereto to prolong the life of the cigarette when being smoked, and to allow consumption of the cigarette throughout sub stantially the entire length thereof or the major portion thereof. At the same time, when extended, the holder maintains a sufiicient grasp on the end of the cigarette to retain it securely in position. Being of simple construction, the mouthpiece may be manufactured at little cost, without adding substantially to the cost of the cigarette.

In carrying out this object, I provide a cylindrical sleeve telescoped over an end of the cigarette for adjustment lengthwise relative thereto. This sleeve is preferably formed of paper, made with a hard calender finish, or sulphide rope composition, thus making the smoking end readily determinable. The end of the sleeve or tube opposite from the adjacent end of the cigarette that is adapted to be taken into the mouth, is folded inward to form an inturned flange that coacts with an object attached directly to a side or sides of the cigarette forming a stop member thereon,

ATET OFFICE thus limiting the sliding movement of the sleeve or tube outwardly relative to the cigarette. When thus extended, the mouthpiece serves as a holder for the cigarette, allowing the same to be smoked throughout a greater portion of the length thereof and making it unnecessary to discard the cigarette when only a portion thereof is consumed.

One or more such stop devices may be used, and are formed so as to be somewhat resilient, thus tending to center the sleeve on the cigarette, and the frictional engagement thereof with the sleeve tends to prevent accidental displacement of the sleeve relative to the cigarette. By inturning both opposite ends of the sleeve, the end thereof adjacent the users mouth serves not only to collect fragments of tobacco, but also prevents the mouthpiece from sliding down on the cigarette when the latter is extracted from a tightly packed package.

I have illustrated difierent embodiments of this invention in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a cigarette havin my improved mouthpiece applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the mouthpiece detached;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the cigarette with the stop member thereon;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the mouthpiece;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view, partly in elevation, showing opposite stop members on the cigarette within the mouthpiece;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. 7 is a further modified form showing inturned opposite ends of the mouthpiece sleeve; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the cigarette with the stop member thereon.

The invention is shown as applied to a conventional cigarette designated generally by the numeral I, which is shown as of round cross section, although it will be obvious that the invention may be applied to cigarettes of other shapes, such as of oval cross section. The cigarette l is formed in the usual way of a thin paper wrapper filled with loose granulated tobacco.

The mouthpiece is designated generally by the numeral 2 and preferably comprises a cylindrical sleeve formed of semi-stiff paper which is rolled to cylindrical shape and secured in tubular form around an end of the cigarette. The end of the sleeve adjacent the brand marking opposite the end adapted to be taken into the mouth in smoking the cigarette, is turned inward to form a flange 3, a portion of which preferably extends at an acute angle to the wall of the sleeve 2 to receive therebetween a stop member. In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the sleeve 2 is not entirely cylindrical, having a converging portion within which the stop member is disposed.

The stop member is formed of an elongated strip preferably of relatively stiff paper having some resiliency, which strip is secured at one end at 4 on a side of the cigarette spaced from the mouth end thereof, by adhesive or in other suitable manner, and the strip is folded back upon itself substantially in bowed shape with a prong extending lengthwise and slightly laterally of the cigarette between the latter and the surrounding wall of the sleeve 2. This causes the prong 5 of the stop member to bear resiliently against the sleeve tending to prevent relative sliding movement thereof on the cigarette, and disposing the end of the prong in position to engage behind the flange 3 on the sleeve and thus limit the extending movement of the sleeve in the relation shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The relation of these parts is exaggerated in the drawing for purpose of illustration, but it will be evident that the sleeve 2 fits snugly around the mouth end of the cigarette, having a fairly close sliding fit therewith. Being constructed of relatively thin paper, the sleeve 2 does not add materially to the area of the cigarette and may be packed therewith in a package of substantially the usual form and size. When thus packed, the sleeve is disposed in its position over the month end of the cigarette substantially as shown in full lines in Fig. 1.

During smoking of the cigarette, the mouthpiece may remain in this same position, if desired, but after a, portion of the cigarette has been consumed, the mouthpiece may be moved outward to its dotted line position in Fig. 1, sliding along the cigarette until the inner side of the flange 3 engages the end of the prong 5 which will thus limit the relative sliding movement of the sleeve. At the same time, the sleeve will embrace a sumcient portion of the cigarette to provide for secure holding thereof, and the cigarette will be retained in prop-er position relative thereto by the inturned flange 3 that closely embraces the side of the cigarette.

In the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6, stop members 8 are provided on both opposite sides of the cigarette and thus bear in opposite directions against a surrounding cylindrical sleeve 9 in position to engage an inturned flange It.

In the further modified form shown in Fig. '7, an inturned flange is formed at l l on the mouth end of the sleeve 12, which additional flange is beneficial to the mouthpiece when extended by adding resiliency and strength to the part held between the lips by a smoker, which is especially desirable because of the frequent tendency to compress the cigarette in the mouth. This flange i i also prevents the mouthpiece from sliding along the cigarette when the latter is extracted from a tightly packed package, and it serves to collect any fragments of tobacco which may work out of the cigarette wrapper and prevent these from entering the smokers mouth.

It will be evident that the simple construction of this mouthpiece enables it to be manufactured at very little extra cost as an attachment on the cigarette and sold therewith with much advantage to the smoker. It extends the life of the cigarette while allowing it to' be smoked to a greater extent, It tends to prevent the collection of tobacco in the mouth during smoking and prevents moisture from collecting on the smoking end of the cigarette while burning when the cigarette is resting on an ash tray or on any other object.

It is also contemplated that a narrow band of phosphorus may be applied to the end of the sleeve next to the cigarette, thus making the cigarette readily visible in the dark.

I claim:

1. A smoking device comprising a cigarette, an extensible sleeve surrounding an end portion of said cigarette and slidable relative thereto, said sleeve having a constricted end, and a stop member secured on said cigarette within the sleeve and having an outwardly extending prong between said end of the cigarette and the constricted end of the sleeve in position to engage the constricted end of the sleeve for limiting the extension of said sleeve on the cigarette.

A smoking device comprising a cigarette, an extensible sleeve surrounding an end portion of said cigarette and slidable relative thereto, said sleeve having a constricted end, and a stop member interposed between a side of the sleeve and the cigarette between said end of the cigarette and the constricted end of the sleeve, said stop member having one portion thereof secured to the cigarette Within the sleeve and another portion thereof in position to engage the constricted end of the sleeve for limiting the extension of said sleeve on the cigarette.

3. A smoking device comprising a cigarette, an extensible sleeve surrounding an end portion of said cigarette and slidable relative thereto, said sleeve having a constricted end, and a stop member interposed between the sleeve and cigarette within the sleeve and comprising a relatively flex ible strip and having one end portion rigidly affixed to the periphery of the cigarette and the other end portion forming a prong in position to engage the constricted end of the sleeve for limiting the extension of the sleeve on the cigarette.

4. A smoking device comprising a cigarette, an extensible sleeve surrounding an end portion of said cigarette and slidable relative thereto, said sleeve having an inturned flange at an end thereof turned back from the wall to form therewith an inwardly extending acute angle, and a stop member interposed between the cigarette and sleeve and formed of a strip of relatively resilient material folded upon itself and having one end thereof adhesively secured to the periphery of the cigarette at a point spaced from the end thereof surrounded by the sleeve and having the opposite end portion extending outwardly and lengthwise of the sleeve in position to engage the flange and limit the extension of the sleeve on the cigarette.

5. A smoking device comprising a cigarette, an extensible sleeve surrounding an end portion of said cigarette and slidable relative thereto, said sleeve having an inturned flange at an end thereof turned back from the wall to form therewith an inwardly extending acute angle, and a pair of stop members interposed between opposite sides of the cigarette and the sleeve, each of said stop members comprising a paper strip folded upon itself with a bowed portion therein and having one end of said strip adhesively secured to the periphery of the cigarette at a point spaced from the end thereof surrounded by the sleeve and having the opposite end portion thereof extending in position to engage the inturned flange of the and sleeve and formed of a strip of relatively l0 resilient material folded upon itself and having one end thereof adhesively secured to the periphery of the cigarette at a point spaced from the end thereof surrounded by the sleeve and having the opposite end portion extending outwardly and lengthwise of the sleeve in position to engage the flange and limit the extension of the sleeve on the cigarette, said sleeve having an intumed flange at the other end thereof overlapping the adjacent end of the cigarette.

LEO D. KLINGEL. 

